


Five times Mickey surprised Ian, and one time Ian surprised him back

by potter_queen



Series: Gallavich One Shots [4]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:47:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22684978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potter_queen/pseuds/potter_queen
Summary: Classic 5 'n 1 fic, starting in season one with lickle baby Gallavich, right up to season 9 and onwards (but not s10 compliant)
Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Series: Gallavich One Shots [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1634716
Comments: 3
Kudos: 118





	Five times Mickey surprised Ian, and one time Ian surprised him back

The first time Ian Gallagher saw Mickey’s softer side was right after they first hooked up. 

They were lying in Mickey’s bed, moments after collapsing down after the best orgasm of Ian’s life, breathing hard. Suddenly, Mickey had tensed beside him and Terry Milkovich came into the room.

Mickey stayed frozen beside him as his father relieved himself (loudly) in the bathroom off Mickey’s bedroom. Ian was scared, but by the waves of fear rolling off Mickey, he could tell the other boy was terrified.

Once Terry left the room, Mickey slumped into the bed and started shaking. “Fuck,” his shaking voice gave Ian the strange impression that they had just narrowly avoided something bad. Ian turned to say something, but before he could, Mickey was scrambling out of the bed. Ian had a glorious second as Mickey clamoured over him of Mickey’s spent cock and balls dangling in his face. Then he was gone again, pulling on his clothes from the piles of crap littering his floor.

Ian took his que and followed suit, turning from Mickey to pull on his own clothes. He had all but forgotten why he had come in the first place when Kash’s gun landed softly on the bed beside him.

Ian’s heart gave a strange flutter and he turned to Mickey with wide eyes. He had the feeling that he was seeing Mickey for the first time, and all of a sudden he wasn’t just seeing a dirty young thug, he was seeing someone else deep down. Ian grinned and stepped towards Mickey, naively presuming that this unexpected act of kindness meant that Mickey would let Ian kiss him.

“Kiss me and I’ll cut your fucking tongue out.”

Despite everything, Ian grinned the whole way home.

~

The second time Mickey surprises Ian happens a few weeks later. 

They’ve been fucking around, mostly under the bleachers or in the back of the Kash ‘n Grab, but they haven’t kissed or really spoken much at all. It’s nothing like being with Kash, who likes to be touched and kissed and cuddle afterwards. With Mickey it’s hard and fast and almost  _ animalistic _ ; they don’t need to talk to know what they want. Ian never has to ask for Mickey to slam his hips back, meeting Ian thrust for thrust. Mickey just grunts and growls at Ian to move  _ faster _ , to fuck him  _ harder _ , and Ian sees stars every time.

Sometimes he wishes that Mickey would stay when they’re done. That he would let Ian hold him for a while and kiss his lips. But that’s just not how Mickey is, so Ian tries to just accept what he’s got. Mickey’s not the touchy-feely type, he’s not soft or sensitive or gentle.

Which is why Ian is so surprised that night.

Ian is walking home from the Kash ‘n Grab after a closing shift one cold evening in January. It’s freezing out, and Ian is wrapped up as best he can and cradling his cigarette against the wind. He’s walking quickly to keep warm and after a while he starts to hear shouts and raucous laughter up above. When Ian reaches the intersection coming up to the train tracks he realises it’s Mickey and his brother’s hanging around. They’re drinking and smoking and throwing empty beer cans at passers by. 

Ian sighs but keeps walking straight. He knows Mickey’s brothers Jamie and Iggy well enough from hanging around their house with Mandy to know they won’t bother him.

He’s about thirty feet away, still unnoticed, when it happens. A stray dog comes up the way, looking cold and thin in the lamplight. One of the brothers, Iggy, hops down off the wall he’s sitting on, and Ian watches on in horror as Iggy, still laughing, aims and kicks the dog hard in the ribs, sending the poor thing flying into the road.

Ian feels sick, and suddenly wants to turn around and find a new route home. He doesn’t want to see violence like this, and he especially doesn’t want to see Mickey take part in it.

Before he can turn around, however, there is a shout and the sound of someone falling to the ground.

“What the _fuck?_ ” It’s Mickey’s voice. Ian turns and stares. 

“What?” Iggy shouts back from the ground. “What’s your problem, Mick?”

“Asshole!” Mickey kicks his brother, hard. “Fuckin’ dog didn’t do anything to you.”

As Iggy gets to his feet, looking disgruntled, Mickey sheds off his coat and stoops to gingerly wrap it around the panting dog.

Ian can’t look away from the sight of Mickey, his Mickey, in bare arms in the freezing cold, picking up a filthy stray dog just to be  _ kind _ . His Mickey, who won’t let Ian kiss him or hold his hand. Who Ian thought had no capacity for kindness or gentleness. 

It’s the first time that Ian thinks he might be wrong about Mickey. The first time he starts to realise that there is more to Mickey Milkovich than he had first assumed.

Ian stands there in the cold long after the brothers have left, breathing heavily as his world turns on its axis.

~

The third time Mickey surprised Ian they were hanging out in the Gallagher household. It was Lip’s birthday, and the party they’d held was dying down. The younger kids and gone to bed, and most of the guests had left. People were passed out around the house, and the few people still up; the Gallaghers, Mickey and a couple of Lip’s friends, were high as fuck and listening to some music.

Mickey was taking a hit when a new song started to play; some deep house shit that Lip was really into. Mickey passed the blunt back to Ian and started lighting up a cigarette. He grunted appreciatively.

“I love this one.”

Ian didn’t have time to respond to  _ that _ surprising statement- Mickey never voluntarily admitted to liking anything, let alone  _ loving _ a song- before Mickey had staggered to his feet, and started to move slowly in the middle of the room.

Through Ian’s heady fog of alcohol and weed he slowly became aware that Mickey was  _ dancing _ . No one else seemed to have noticed, too fucked or too tired to pay attention, but it was happening. And holy shit.

He had never seen Mickey move like this. He’d never seen Mickey dance at all, until this moment. He’d never stopped to wonder what he might look like, but if Ian had had to guess he would have said Mick would have danced like Kev or Lip, awkward and jerky and not moving much at all.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Mickey was dancing slowly. His hands were above his head and moving slowly, dropping only to take a drag on the cigarette dangling between his fingers. His head was down and his eyes were shut, apparently oblivious to the world around him. His hips and shoulders were twisting in time to the beat, moving as though made of water. The muscles in his back and shoulders rippled as he moved through his own cloud of smoke.

Ian couldn’t look away. He couldn’t have looked away if his life depended on it.

Ian didn’t even realise he was getting hard till his dick was straining painfully in his jeans, pressing against the metal of his zip. He snapped out of it when the song changed into something more up tempo and Mick dropped back into the seat beside Ian, finishing off his cigarette and completely unaware of what he had just done to Ian.

Ian had known he was in love with Mickey before, but that night, in that moment he realised he was truly fucked for Mickey Milkovich. He would follow him to the ends of the earth just to see him dance like that again. He would spend the rest of his life trying to unravel him, yearning to understand every fibre of Mickey’s being. He never would though, because Mickey would always be full of surprises like the one he revealed that night.

~

Mickey still manages to surprise Ian even while he’s stuck in prison.

Ian’s been out for nearly two years now, and they’ve been hard going without Mickey. He never misses a visiting time, however, and all the shit he goes through each week is always worth it for the precious hour he gets to spend with Mickey every week.

There’s less security here than in the last prison Mickey was in, and instead of visits broken by thick glass and crackly phones, Ian gets to meet with Mickey face to face, in the visiting room on wet days, or out in the courtyard when it’s dry, like today.

It’s been a long week. Ian’s had to pick up extra shifts at work because one of his coworkers is out on maternity leave, and two days ago a pipe broke in their tiny apartment, flooding half the floor and forcing Ian to crash back home for a few nights. Despite the fact that Mickey has never stepped foot in the pokey single bed apartment Ian calls home, Ian always thinks of it as  _ theirs _ . He can’t wait to see Mickey padding out of the bedroom in the mornings, still soft and sleepy. He can’t wait to watch Mickey cook dinner in the miniscule kitchen or listen to him complain about the broken elevator. He can’t wait for Mickey to come  _ home _ .

Ian is practically vibrating in anticipation as he waits for Mickey to walk through the wire gates. As soon as he spots him coming round the corner Ian is on his feet, smiling widely and waving, his body already filling with relief at the sight of his boyfriend.

They meet in the middle of the yard and Ian buries his face into the crook of Mickey’s neck and breathes in the familiar scent. “Hey,” he mumbles into Mickey’s skin.

“Hey.” Mickey squeezes Ian gently and Ian grins; he can hear the smile in Mickey’s voice.

They release each other long enough to sit down on one of the benches. They sit opposite each other, holding hands and grinning at each other like they’re teenagers on a date, not two grown ass men on a prison visit.

“How are you?” Mickey asks, still smiling softly. The sun is falling gently on him, lighting up his pale blue eyes and making his white teeth sparkle. Ian just stares and grins stupidly. It’s crazy how the sight of one person’s face can make Ian’s week so much better.

“I’m perfect now.”

“You’re always perfect.”

It’s silly, but the words make Ian blush and duck his head. He’s not sure if he’ll ever get used to Mick being to open with compliments and loving gestures. He hopes he doesn’t, because it still thrills and delights him every time Mickey shows Ian his love in little ways; for so many years Ian had never dared to dream that Mickey would ever be like this.

“Hey, eh,” Mickey coughs and shifts a little. “I’ve, eh. I’ve got something to tell you.”

Mickey sounds nervous, and Ian cocks his head to the side questioningly. It’s not often that Mickey has news to share from inside, and when he does it’s usually bad, but here he is, blushing a little and glancing at Ian with a bashful smile. He looks  _ shy _ and it’s freaking adorable.

“What is it?”

“I, eh.” He coughs again, and suddenly his bashful smile turns into a bashful  _ grin _ , like he can’t hold it in anymore. “I got my GED.”

It takes Ian a moment to understand what Mickey is saying; that was not what he had expected at  _ all _ . He frowns in confusion. “Wait,  _ what? _ ”

“Yeah, I eh, I took the tests. And I passed. Actually, I did pretty well.” Mickey shrugs self consciously and scratches the back of his head, that small, proud smile still clear on his face.

Ian is grinning even though he’s still confused. “You took the GED? But, you haven’t even studied for it?”

Mickey shrugs again, still looking shy bashful. “I have actually. For the past year. I just figured it would be something to do. Had a lot of time on my hands with you gone.”

“But- you never told me that!”

“I know.” Mickey says sheepishly. “Didn’t want to, ‘cause… I never thought I’d actually  _ pass _ .” He’s grinning again, a wide, proud, shy smile that Ian has never seen before, and it’s just making Ian fall even more in love with this amazing, surprising man.

“Holy shit!” Now that the confusion has cleared, Ian is filled with excitement. Mickey just got his  _ GED. _ Mickey, who flunked out of high school before his chest hair grew in. Mickey, who was never encouraged at home, who never had a parent to attend school meetings or baseball games. Mickey, who never had a chance at school. He’s just got his degree.

Ian is filled with pride for Mickey, who’s still smiling shyly and watching Ian through his dark lashes. Ian’s eyes fill with tears and he grabs at Mickey’s hands.

“Mick,” he whispers earnestly, his heart swelling with love as he grips Mickey’s hands tightly. “I’m so fucking proud of you.”

Mickey squeezes his hands, his expression open and hopeful. “Yeah?” He asks, like he can’t quite believe anyone would be proud of him. Ian leans across the table and kisses him hard.

“Wanna see it?” Mickey asks when they seperate.

“ _ Yes! _ ” Ian says immediately. Mickey reaches into his yellow jumpsuit and pulls out a carefully folded envelope. Ian unfolds in gently and pulls out the certificate. He has to bite his lip to stop the tears falling as he gingerly traces Mickey’s name.

“One seventy? Fuck, Mick, that’s really good!”

“Yeah, I’m not just a pretty face.”

Ian chuckles and stares at the piece of paper. Of all his family, Lip was the only one to actually graduate high school. Debbie got her GED a couple of years ago, but Ian remembers her just about passing. They were still madly proud of her; none of the rest of them had managed it.

“First in my family.” The bashful voice is back and Ian looks up. Mick shrugs shyly again, like he’s not sure if he should be proud or not. Ian hands him back his certificate and grips his hands again.

“Mickey Milkovich. You never stop surprising me, you know that?”

~

Mickey Milkovich is secretly quite proud of how well he knows Ian.

Despite the time they spent apart while Mickey was finishing his prison sentence, he and Ian slotted back together more easily than Mickey had been hoping for.

In his absence, Ian had managed to hold down his EMT job, stick to his medication and therapy schedule, and keep up the rent on a tiny one bedroomed apartment a little outside of the Southside.

Mickey had been surprised at how comfortable he felt in this new place. Maybe it was how tiny it was; he had gotten used to confined spaces in prison. Maybe it was how the street outside was similar to where he had grown up, but without the constant threat of getting gay-bashed if he somehow let his secret slip, not that it was a secret anymore.

Maybe it was just Ian.

Mickey’s parole officer had helped him find a job, his first ever legit employment, and Mickey couldn’t help but feel proud every time he paid his share of rent or utilities, knowing he had earned it legally. That was more than Mickey had ever hoped for for his life, at one point, and despite the fact that the job was just as a pair of arms in a huge garden store chain, Mickey was really enjoying it.

What made him prouder than any of his own achievements, however, was watching Ian and the man he had become. It hurt that he hadn’t been around over the last few years to watch it happen, but Ian was stable, successful and  _ happy _ . 

Mickey knew his boyfriend like the back of his hand. All his nervous ticks, the way he told stories, the foods he liked to eat when he was feeling sick and the music he listened to when he was happy. 

He had to admit he had been surprised that Ian had actually stuck around to wait for Mickey to get out of jail. He felt guilty for doubting Ian now, especially when the redhead had worked so hard to get back on his feet and build a life for them, but, well. Ian hadn’t exactly had the best track record when it came to sticking around for him.

It was extremely strange to be out of prison, not on the run, and even coming up to the end of his probation. It was nearly a year since Mickey had gotten out, and in two short months he would be, for the first time since he was a teenager, a free man. Completely and utterly  _ free. _ It was dizzying to think about.

One evening, Mickey was trudging home from work, bones aching for a long day. All he wanted was to flop down on the sofa with Ian and watch shitty movies. If he was lucky, Ian might even rub his feet for him. Of course, Mickey would return the favour.

He fished his keys out of his pocket and wearily unlocked the front door. He could hear the telly on in the living room, and kicked off his boots and stepped out of his jeans before heading to follow the sound. He left his work clothes in a pile by the front door, which Ian would berate him for later, but right now, he couldn’t care less.

Ian was sitting on the sofa as Mickey predicted. An old Friends rerun was playing and on the coffee table there were bags of take out. Mickey immediately recognised the logo of his favourite Chinese on the bag.

“Hey, you.” Mickey flopped down onto the sofa by way of greeting, half of top of Ian.

“Hey.” Ian leant over to kiss Mickey with a smile. “I got take out.”

“I see that. Looks good.”

They dig in in companionable silence, occasionally commenting on the food or what’s on TV. 

The finish eating and Mickey settles comfortably into Ian’s side, tugging a blanket around them and wrapping an arm around his boyfriend’s waist. Ian’s hand snakes its way into Mickey’s hair and cards through it just how Mickey likes it. He sighs in contentment, starting to feel sleepy in this comfortable position.

After a long time, Ian starts wriggling around and Mickey grunts in protest. Ian seems to be stretching, or reaching for something.

“Sit still,” Mickey whines, poking Ian’s tummy, not wanting his comfort disturbed.

“Eh, Mickey?”

“What?” Mickey grumbles in response.

“I have something to ask you.”

Ian’s voice sounds a little nervous, and that gets Mickey’s attention. He sits up to look Ian in the eye.

“Mickey,” Ian starts to smile in that lopsided way he does sometimes which is so loving and in awe that it makes Mickey squirm. He’s still getting used to being looked at like that. 

“I’ve been in love with you since I was fifteen. We’ve been through some fucked up shit together.”

“Eh, right… Where is this going?” Mickey asks, bewildered.

“And you’ve stuck by me through the best and the worst times in my life. You’ve always been there.”

“I always will be, man.” Mickey replied reflexively, still confused.

“I know,” Ian grinned. He began rustling again, pulling something out from behind him. “I want to be there for you, Mickey, through the good times and the bad times and the fucking  _ shit _ times… every day. For the rest of our lives. I’ve… been trying to find a good time to do this for months, ‘cause I wanted it to be like…  _ special _ , or whatever…”

Now Ian’s pulling out a little black box, and Mickey’s dumb brain doesn’t catch up with what’s happening until Ian snaps open the box, revealing a thin, silver band.

“But then I realised, that  _ this _ is special. The fact we’re  _ here, _ Mickey! The fact that we made it through everything and built a life together, that’s special. It’s better than anything I’ve ever wanted, and it’s so great because it’s with  _ you, _ you know?”

Mickey’s not sure when he raised his hands to cover his gaping mouth, or when the tears in his eyes started to form, but all of a sudden he’s aware of it. His heart is beating hard in his chest.

“What I’m trying to say is… Mickey, will you marry me?” 

“H-holy shit.” 

Mickey stares between Ian and the ring in disbelief. Ian’s big green eyes stare back at him anxiously, and Mickey loves him.

“Of course I’ll fucking marry you.”

“You will?”

“Yes, dumbass, come here!”

Ian doesn’t need telling twice. He pulls Mickey’s face to his and kisses him passionately. They’re both breathless when they pull apart. Mickey starts to laugh while Ian jams the ring onto his finger, and then they’re kissing again, and Mickey couldn’t be happier if he tried.

So yeah, he knows Ian. Knows him inside out and backwards, and wouldn’t have it any other way. But sometimes, even Mickey can be surprised by Ian, his new fiance.

**Author's Note:**

> wrote this before s10, so its not s10 compliant. Finished it up today and liked it a lot so here you go! Hope you enjoyed it :))
> 
> Question; should I put my gallavich one shots into a series, even though they're all slightly different AUs?


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